Abstract [en]

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is characterized by chronic abdominal symptoms such as pain, discomfort, and altered bowel habits. A subset of IBS patients, denoted as post-infectious IBS (PI-IBS) patients, develop symptoms after an enteric infection. Distinct abnormalities in the gut mucosa, including mucosal inflammation, have been proposed to contribute to or be the cause of PI-IBS. This study investigated lymphocyte subsets in PI-IBS patients compared to healthy controls.

Materials and methods: Ten PI-IBS patients and nine healthy controls participated. All PI-IBS patients met the Rome III diagnostic criteria for IBS and reported sustained symptoms at least 1 year after an episode of acute gastroenteritis. Intraepithelial lymphocytes and lamina propria lymphocytes (LPLs), isolated from mucosal tissue samples, were stained and analyzed for a comprehensive set of cell markers using flow cytometry.

Conclusion: This study presents new evidence that PI-IBS is associated with a sustained aberrant mucosal immune response and support future studies of anti-inflammatory or immune-modulating treatments in these patients.